Retail stores utilize electronic article surveillance (EAS) tags, especially in connection with clothing, to prevent theft of such items. A tag will generally be a rectangular structure on the order of ⅝ inch in width and 1½ inch in length with varying thickness, including a flat top side having a pin receiving aperture therein. For clothing and other fabric material items, a pin member, having a circular disk shaped top and a pin extending perpendicularly from the center thereof, is positioned through the fabric and into the aperture or hole in the tag to maintain the EAS structure on a consumer item to be sold. FIG. 3 of U.S. Pat. No. 7,084,766 discloses such a circular disk with pin extending therefrom that is meant to be positioned in the aperture or hole on the top of a tag 22. Such a tag assembly is not convenient to utilize for articles of clothing such as leather or for handbags, purses, or the like generally made of other than a one layer of woven fabric.
Another type of theft deterrent device includes a lanyard that extends from the tag so as to be positioned around a handbag strap or through a button hole in an item wherein the prior mentioned combined disk and pin is not appropriate. U.S. Pat. No. 7,342,495 discloses an EAS tag that has a lanyard fixedly extending therefrom including a pin at the end that is mountable in an aperture or hole in the top of the lanyard. However, it should be noted that there are over approximately 200 different styles and shapes of EAS tags currently on the market and the lanyard shown only works with the one tag disclosed therein. Additionally, it would be expected that improvements in such EAS tags may be made in the future to provide for more elaborate electronic circuitry therein.
A need has developed for a simplified lanyard/pin/base device that can be utilized with a plurality of the EAS tags now available on the market and which may be available for use with EAS tags developed in the future.